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Step into the bronze age

...or be dazzled by gorgeous golds and fiery coppers at our top gardens this autumn

Martyn Cox

THE forests of New England are justly famed for their fiery autumn tints of bronze, copper, red and gold but there’s no need to cross the Atlantic to enjoy a vibrant spectacle. There are great gardens much closer to home that will deliver a memorable end-of-season display – here are some of the best…

Lanhydrock Cornwall

Persian ironwoods, tulip trees and sweet gum are among the autumnal stars in the sprawling grounds surrounding this 19th Century mansion built in the 1880s for Thomas Agar-Robartes, 6th Viscount Clifden. On higher land behind the house is a woodland garden criss-crossed by paths. From here you can follow a stream down to the banks of the River Fowey. nationaltrust.org.uk/lanhydrock

Leonardslee Lakes & Gardens West Sussex

Started in 1889 by aristocrat and plantsman Sir Edmund Loder, this 200-acre woodland garden contains an amazing selection of autumn-interest trees including oaks, tupelos, ginkgo biloba and 75 different maples. Set within a valley that descends towards a series of lakes, the garden is home to an attractive late 19th Century artificial rock garden. leonardsleegardens.co.uk

Green Island Gardens Essex

When garden designer Fiona Edmond snapped up a 20-acre triangle of land near Colchester in 1996, it was populated largely by sycamore seedlings. A quarter of a century later the plot is a spectacular garden with lawns, beds, water features and a discerning selection of late-interest plants, such as fothergillas, Japanese maples and autumnflowering camellias. greenislandgardens. co.uk

Belton House Lincolnshire

A mansion built in the 1680s sits at the heart of a vast estate that includes formal gardens, parkland and woods. The 1,317-acre site features a maze, a 19th Century parterre and sunken Italian garden, and boasts lovely views over a lake. The lawns are dotted with autumn-interest trees while the lime trees in an avenue close to the house turn buttery yellow. nationaltrust.org.uk/belton-house

Bodenham Arboretum Worcestershire

Started from scratch in the 1970s, this is home to more than 3,000 species of trees and shrubs. Spread over 134 acres, it consists of mature woodland, specimen trees, open glades and a chain of 15 pools. Brightening up the scene are Japanese

maples, American oaks and berry-bearing plants. bodenhamarboretum. co.uk

Castle Howard North Yorkshire

This 18th Century mansion – the setting for TV drama Brideshead Revisited – sits at the heart of a 1,000acre landscape. Close to the house is Ray Wood, a 25-acre ornamental garden with winding paths taking you past rowans, maples and oaks. The estate is also home to the Yorkshire Arboretum, a sylvan landscape covering 128 acres. castlehoward.co.uk

Rivington Terraced Gardens Lancashire

Designed by Thomas Mawson for soap magnate Lord Leverhulme of Lever Brothers fame, this magical 45-acre place built on a hillside is peppered with grottos, lakes, water features and ruins, while paths twist and turn through venerable deciduous trees, whose canopy turns fiery shades in autumn. rivingtonterracedgardens.org.uk

Plas Newydd House and Garden Anglesey

This garden has breathtaking views of the Menai Strait and Snowdonia, but it’s the grounds that hold attention at this time of year. Autumn leaf colour is provided by Japanese maples, southern beech trees and Viburnum plicatum, while mophead hydrangeas bloom in the West Indies garden. Even the 19th Century mansion gets in on the act when a Boston ivy on its walls turns red. nationaltrust.org.uk/ plas-newydd-house-and-garden

Crarae Garden Argyll and Bute

Set on a hillside overlooking Loch Fyne, this rugged landscape started by Lady Grace Campbell in 1912 covers 50 acres, with seasonal gems including katsura trees, rowans and a national collection of southern beech (nothofagus). A fastrunning stream adds to the drama as it crashes over rocks and waterfalls. nts.org.uk/visit/places/crarae-garden

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2021-10-24T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-10-24T07:00:00.0000000Z

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